“[vc_row type=”” in_container=”” scene_position=”” center=”” text_color=”” dark=”” text_align=”” left=”” overlay_strength=””][vc_column_text]In this series of articles, the program directors of the Lyon campus share their valuable advice in their areas of expertise. Today, Philip Willson, Director of the MSc 2 Consulting & Business Development, gives you 3 tips for conducting an effective consulting assignment.
Never have companies been faced with as many challenges as they are today – globalization, digitalization, market fragmentation, the impact of social networks, changing consumer habits… No sector is immune. Faced with these challenges, management consulting firms are called upon to prepare for and accompany change : an evolution of the market, of technology, of business model. Many consulting missions – closer to operations – focus on the need to gain efficiency, to reach a level of excellence in terms of product or service quality.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”” no=”” Line”” custom_height=””][vc_column_text]
1. Have a vision ” wide angle “
A consulting mission is part of a precise context : the company, its history, its values, its stakeholders, the evolution of its market. A person from outside the company has little prior knowledge of these elements. However, the success of the mission depends on the ability to perceive the ” décor “. Preparing well implies an upstream work of taking knowledge of all the key information on the company. The consultant, armed with this knowledge, will not hesitate to ask questions to complete his knowledge. Questions that demonstrate solid preparation will build trust from the start. Indeed, it is a question of being able to constantly switch between the ” wide angle ” and the ” zoom ” by putting the project in its global context while focusing on the essential points of detail for the success of the mission.
2. Integrate the human dimension
Digitizing your supply chain is not just about installing a cloud solution or developing a logistics platform capable of serving all your customers.
The early consideration of change in its entirety is a key skill of the consultant. From the salesman to the warehouse worker, the impact will be considerable : what impact on the process ? Are roles and responsibilities changing ? Are users integrated into the project to bring their expertise ? Is training on new methods at the heart of the project ? The consultant who wants to succeed in this type of mission must master the methods of change management. These allow us to identify the issues and to deploy the project in a holistic way.
3. Delivering results throughout the project
No more projects where you can just do everything sequentially, with a promise of a solution in 6 months or 1 year ! Companies – both SMEs and ETIs – want quick results. Using iterative approaches (e.g. : Scrum), the consultant organizes his project with a view to delivering blocks of functionalities over time in a sort of successive loop. This type of approach also provides an advantage for the consultant : reduce the risks, by successive steps of validation.
These practices are by no means an infallible guarantee of success, but they will be considerable helps to the consultant throughout his career. Yes, many projects have failed for lack of one or the other of these 3 keys ![/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”” no=”” Line”” custom_height=””][/vc_row][vc_row type=”” in_container=”” scene_position=”” center=”” text_color=”” dark=”” text_align=”” left=”” overlay_strength=””][vc_column column_padding=”” no-extra-padding=”” column_padding_position=”” all=”” background_color_opacity=”” background_hover_color_opacity=”” width=””][image_with_animation image_url=”” alignment=”” center=”” animation=”” fade=”” In””][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”” no-extra-padding=”” column_padding_position=”” all=”” background_color_opacity=”” background_hover_color_opacity=”” width=””][vc_column_text]
Philip Willson
Director of the MSC 2 Consulting & Business Developmentprogram
Lyon Campus[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]”